Ministry of Tribal Affairs
NESTS signs MoU with Learning Links Foundation to implement Amazon Future Engineer Program (AFE) in EMRSs
Posted On: 05 JUN 2026 4:31PM by PIB Delhi
The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Learning Links Foundation (LLF) to implement the Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) programme across Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) in the country.
The partnership between NESTS and Learning Links Foundation to implement the Amazon Future Engineer programme has impacted approximately 80,000 students of Classes VI to IX from 2022 till date. Building on the success of this collaboration, the renewed MoU, effective from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2028, marks another significant step towards strengthening digital and technological education among tribal students through Amazon’s corporate philanthropy initiative in India.
Under this collaboration, the programme will expand to cover 443 EMRSs, and is expected to impact over 2 lakh students from Classes VI to IX, with a focus on building foundational and advanced skills in emerging technologies.
Beyond AI curriculum integration, Amazon is also collaborating with the NESTS to strengthen digital infrastructure across underserved schools. Under this initiative, more than 284 refurbished laptops were provided to teachers of EMRSs during AY 2024–25. Building on this effort, in AY 2026-27, 900+ digital devices will be provided to 238 EMRSs enabling access to technology-enabled learning for tribal students.
The AFE programme will cover three key components:
- Computer Science Fundamentals: Introducing coding, computational thinking, and problem-solving skills
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy: Building awareness of AI concepts through experiential and project-based learning
- Career Exposure: Providing insights into technology-driven career pathways through virtual industry exposure and career introduction
The programme adopts an activity-based and experiential learning approach, enabling students to connect classroom learning with real-world applications and fostering innovation and critical thinking.
As part of the initiative, Learning Links Foundation (LLF) will provide teacher training, academic support, and mentoring through qualified resource persons, along with continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms to ensure effective implementation.
NESTS will ensure the nomination and active participation of EMRS teachers in the capacity-building programme, and support the effective implementation of the AFE curriculum across participating schools through strong coordination with EMRS teachers.
This collaboration reflects the Government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and promoting inclusive, technology-enabled education for tribal students, while enhancing their digital literacy, computational thinking, and career readiness, and enabling them to explore opportunities in emerging technology sectors.
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